He pleaded guilty to nine counts of making indecent images of children, two counts of possessing indecent images and two counts of distributing indecent images at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday.

Judge William Hart said the public would be revolted at his addiction to possessing and distributing images of child pornography.

The judge also sent out a stern message to all those involved in computer child pornography that the police were getting more and more sophisticated in bringing offenders to justice and they would be caught.

Imposing a suspended prison sentence, the judge said: “Whatever punishment the court imposes can hardly match the fact that people will now be aware that you have gained sexual gratification from watching images of adults abusing children as young as three.

“This will fill right-minded people with revulsion and you will have to live with that.

“You have lost your wife, your children and your job.”

The offences took place between 2009 and 2013 in Cheltenham, where Wood previously lived with his wife and children.

Prosecuting barrister Julian Kesner said: “Police received information in August last year that the defendant was distributing indecent images of children.

“They searched his Cheltenham address in September, seized his computer, storage media and discs and discovered the images.

“Most were at level one, the least serious, but there were eight at level two, 17 at level three and nine at level four. There were none at level five, the most serious.

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“The defendant has no previous convictions and was a man of previous good character.”

Defending lawyer Lloyd Jenkins said: “This is a sad case and my client has a history of chronic addiction – to alcohol since the age of 12, drugs and later to pornography.

“He is a broken man who has lost everything but he knows that he needs help and has made efforts off his own back to get it.

“His parents are in the public gallery today to support him.”

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Wood was sentenced to 14 months custody suspended for two years, with two years intense supervision.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and was made the subject of a sex offenders prevention order until further notice.

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